For Immediate Release June 18, 2001 GAY & LESBIAN GROUPS, ELECTED OFFICIALS TO ISSUE CHALLENGE TO COMMUNITY
New York - The New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP), the Audre Lorde Project, Metropolitan Gender Network, Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries, New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy, Metropolitan Community Church of New York, NY Councilmember Christine Quinn, and State Senator Tom Duane will hold a press conference at Noon tomorrow to call upon the city's lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual community to pay close attention to the trial of three men accused of being involved with the June 2000 murder of Amanda Milan.
"We are very concerned that the community will believe that because this case seems so simple, justice will be served and there is no danger that McCuller, Celestine and Anderson will be acquitted," said Richard Haymes, AVP's executive director. "Again and again we see defendants acquitted in cases that were thought to be 'cut-and-dried' because despite what most of us would like to believe, homophobic and transphobic defenses still work in New York City." After a rally, march and vigil Sunday night, community activists are recruiting people to monitor the trial, which begins Tuesday, June 19th, and is expected to last two to three weeks.
During tomorrow's press conference, participants also plan to address the fact that the NYPD has refused to classify Milan's murder as a bias-related incident.
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